All The Real-Life Crimes Committed By Gremlins In The First Film
The Gremlins are malevolent little monsters who never met a crime they didn't like, and these are the worst ones they committed in the first film.
1984's Gremlins was a pop culture smash hit with a ton of instantly quotable lines and a mixture of humor and horror. When Billy Peltzer received a Mogwai from his dad as a Christmas present, he failed to follow the rules that came with it. The result was an explosion of malevolent Gremlins who rampaged through his hometown of Kingston Falls, nearly destroying it in the process. Only by remembering their weaknesses was he able to stop them.
Meanwhile, the devastation left in their wake was incalculable. The Gremlins broke just about every law known to man, and perhaps a few not known. The premise of hauling a bunch of Gremlins before a court of law is preposterous, but it's amusing to stop and consider just how many laws they broke, and their severity.
10 Attempted Murder
The Gremlins aren't shy about offing one another for the silliest of reasons, so it makes sense that they'd have no compunctions about murdering human beings. Though not outwardly homicidal, their malevolence and recklessness often lead to a number of severe injuries and deaths.
Some Gremlins like Stripe are far more insidious, however. As the villain of the film, he routinely tries to murder anyone who threatens his race, and those who would get in the way of his fun. Billy Peltzer is the biggest target of all, and Stripe tries to kill him with a handgun, a chainsaw, and anything else he can get his claws on.
9 First-Degree Murder
Murder isn't off the books for Gremlins, but they're sketchy and inconsistent with how they dish it out. They're quite willing to attack people for no reason, though most of the time it's for the sake of entertainment. When cold-blooded murder enters the equation, however, they are quite lethal.
Ironically, the one person in Kingston Falls who shared a similarly wicked mindset of the Gremlins became their biggest target. Mrs. Deagle met her end when the Gremlins messed with her staircase chair, sending her flying through her second-story window to her death.
8 Vehicular Assault
It's safe to say that Gremlins don't have anything in the way of a driver's license, or permission to operate heavy machinery. However, a large vehicle like Mr. Futterman's snowplow was too much for them to resist, and they decided to take it for a joyride.
Unfortunately, in their quest to terrorize the Futtermans, they ended up driving the plow straight through their house and demolishing it. This wickedly hilarious scene is one reason why Gremlins is one of the most memorable creature features of the 1980s. Thankfully, they survived the incident, but it's a safe bet that Mr. Futterman's winter business venture was put on permanent ice.
7 Indecent Exposure
Gremlins are hedonists by nature, amplified to the extreme with an instinctual drive to cause as much mayhem and irresponsibility as possible. No crime is off the table, and no vice is too extreme for the creatures. To them, it's what they were born to do, and it's deep in their DNA.
It isn't surprising that a Gremlin decided to dress up in a trench coat and flash Kate while she tended to them at the bar. The move was counterproductive, as Gremlins go about without clothes on anyways, making this gesture more about mimicking awful behavior.
6 Assault With A Deadly Weapon
When it comes time to cause mayhem, Gremlins will use anything at their disposal that can serve as a weapon. In some cases, they'll even get their hands on firearms and sporting goods, such as chainsaws. Though they tend to prefer destruction over murder, their reckless actions can be devastating.
Stripe is one of the scariest monsters in a PG-rated family film, and for good reason. He uses a variety of deadly weapons to assail and harm anyone who stands in his way, be it Mogwai or human. The rest of the Gremlins follow suit, picking up dangerous items and weapons that could do a lot more than simply put someone's eye out.
5 Violent Rioting
The Gremlin species isn't bound by societal rules, nor do they have a creed or unified goal. They're simply out to let chaos and mischief run amok, unchecked and unchallenged. Violent rioting isn't something they decide to do. Rather, it's a part of their daily routine.
Looting, arson, and other major felonies are considered normal behavior for them, making them far dangerous than a group of people with an ideology. With no stopgap in place, and no end goal to abide by, the Gremlins simply won't stop rioting until there's nothing left.
4 Property Destruction
Kingston Falls was nearly destroyed in a single night by the Gremlin horde, thanks in part to their large numbers. However, even a handful of the creatures could have caused a massive amount of damage in a relatively short space of time.
Property destruction is a norm for Gremlins, and they don't take things like insurance coverage into account. If it's glass, they'll break it. If it's flammable, they'll set it on fire. If it has a foundation, they'll eventually try and raze it to the ground. Then again, that's part of the fun of the movie, and the reason why it's one of Joe Dante's best films.
3 Home Invasion
The concept of private property is lost on Gremlins, and they aren't afraid to acknowledge it. Every single home is a potential playpen, stuffed to the brim with new objects to steal, destroy or mess around with. They'll break into a house with the occupants inside, stake a claim on it, and run wild. A perfect example of this is when they take over the local movie theater and watch Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, one of the best Disney animated films of all time.
Property owners have two choices - either run for the hills or try to fend off the invaders. If the latter, the Gremlins will respond with vicious resistance and tenacity, each and every time. They consider anything within their field of vision to be a target of opportunity.
2 Grand Larceny
The Gremlins loot a number of department stores, restaurants, and businesses in Kingston Falls during their rampage, decking themselves out with new clothes, items, and of course, cigarettes and copious amounts of alcohol. If they could be charged in a court of law, the sheer number of infractions would be ten miles long.
Stealing and looting are their way, and everything is up for grabs. Even if they understood the concept of money, they'd scoff at the idea as repugnant. Gremlins take what they want, and destroy the rest. What little is left over can be salvaged by the survivors when they've moved onto the next town.
1 Reckless Endangerment
Gremlins aren't content simply to break stuff and indulge in their own hedonism. They will actively go out of their way to try and cause as much mayhem, misery, and pain as possible on others. A Gremlin demonstrates this when he claws his way into the traffic light mechanism, which wreaks havoc on the streets.
They simply don't give one iota about public safety, or consideration for others. Their uncontrollable urge to indulge themselves means they don't care what happens to anyone else who stumbles into the chaos. If lives are lost, they wouldn't bat a lash.